A number of technologies have been applied to the ground-based detection of landmines. In the simplest instance is the individual armed with only a hand-held prodder for probing the ground and relying upon their experience to gauge the level of hazard associated with a contacted object. Hand-held electronic mine detectors are an improvement in but, the proximity of the operator to the detector still presents a risk. At the other extreme are complex and expensive remote-controlled vehicles with sensor arrays preceded by a preconditioning flail vehicle to remove anti-personnel mines. These vehicle mounted sensor detectors are ideal for level terrain, particularly road services.
Vehicle-mounted detectors are rapid but are expensive and operate poorly in irregular and generally difficult terrain and tend to utilize at least one sensor which contacts the ground which can trigger a mine if not pre-cleared. Hand-held detectors are intended for and are used in terrain that vehicle-mounted detectors cannot reach.
It is known that in order to decommission any terrain and render it safe for passage of personnel or resumption of regular human activity, all landmines must be removed. This typically needs to be accomplished with painstaking and hazardous hand-work.
Hand-held mine or metal detectors typically comprise a component box with a handle, a rigid shaft extending towards the ground, and a sensor located at the end of the rigid shaft. The operator typically holds the detector used by the handle and swings the sensor over the ground in a left right sweeping action as the operator walks forward. The advantages of the hand-held detectors include the ability to sweep the ground profile with the detector head spaced closely from the ground for optimal detection, yet the operator strives to prevent contacting either the ground or any objects on or in the ground. The operators shoulder, arm and wrist provide great flexibility in maintaining this sensor spacing. This flexibility permits a human operator to very carefully and precisely sweep and area regardless of its terrain.
Further, the operator is able to vary the width of the sweep in order to adapt to a particular situation or terrain. The disadvantages include is that the hand held method is slow, personnel intensive, tiring, hazardous and obviously stressful for the operator.
It is an objective therefore to provide a mine detection system which implements the flexibility of the hand-held system, provides faster and positive detection of mines and incorporates some of the safer and more rapid mechanized scanning capabilities of the vehicle mounted systems.